Supporting volunteers with mental health needs Darren Vella

Supporting volunteers with mental health needs Darren Vella, Rin Roach & Steve Moreton

Overall aim of the workshop To enable delegates to diversify their volunteer base by developing effective recruitment and retention strategies for volunteers with mental health needs

Learning objectives By the end of this session, delegates will: • be able to understand explain the context, concepts and terms of mental health and volunteering • relate a range of benefits of engaging with volunteers from a mental health background • clarify the key barriers to recruiting volunteers with mental health needs

Learning objectives cont… • be able to identify which strategies that are likely to be applicable to their own situation • be able to access further resources and support on engaging volunteers with mental health needs • feel confident in engaging with volunteers with mental health needs in their volunteering programme

Identifying areas of growth/experience • ‘Existence’ • ‘Stumbles’ • ‘Needs’

Considering mental health You tell me! Multiple choice quiz … 14 questions … 43 possible answers!

Considering mental health You tell me! What is mental health for you? How do you see yourself within the issue?

Mental health – models & dimensions 1. Personal dimension 2. Medical model 3. Social model 4. Community dimension

Volunteering within mental health Rin Roach. . any questions? Please write them on a post-it &hand them in over the coffee break

Volunteering within mental health Cathja…

Barriers to engaging volunteers with mental health needs Organisational perspective: • • Increased support required by organisation Limited skills resources to access &place volunteers Organisational concerns regarding their ‘duty of care’ Pre-conceptions around level of duties undertaken

Barriers to engaging volunteers with mental health needs cont… Individual perspective: • Referrals being made too early • Implications on welfare benefits • Previous ‘bad experiences’ – stigma around mental health

Why engage volunteers with mental health needs Organisational perspective: • Mental illness affects 25 percent of the population • People with mental health needs can have capacity for empathy, which suit certain volunteering roles • Having people with first hand experience of the health and social care system • Service-user involvement!

Why engage volunteers with mental health needs cont… Organisational perspective: • • Credibility in community an inclusive employer Sense of achievement of staff group Mental health issues are becoming more common Sickness absence due to mental health problems costs the UK economy £ 8. 4 billion a year

Why engage volunteers with mental health needs cont… Individual perspective: • Development of skills, confidence and capability • Feeling valued and supported • Reduced sense of isolation “…it does give one some reason to carry on, get out of the house, and do something, which to a certain extent detracts from one’s problems. ”

Considerations for volunteers with mental health needs Pinclude volunteer’s support staff (e. g. key workers) Pwork in partnership with community bridge builders and supported volunteering practitioners Prun open ‘taster’ sessions prior to volunteering Pidentify a named member of staff with specialist knowledge of mental health issues

Considerations for volunteers with mental health needs Pencourage trial volunteering periods Pdevelop activities that increase responsibility over time Prun pre-volunteering training courses Pdevelop peer group support and group supervision sessions Pinvolve volunteers in peer mentoring and buddying systems From – You cannot be serious: a guide to involving volunteers with mental health problems S Clark (2003)

Supporting materials & resources etc… • Reports • Research • Resources